Search for Sloan Anew
by testsubject1987
Summary: The Dominion War over and Doctor Bashier continues with life... but he wonders is Sloan really dead? He may have to find out. Prelude and rewrite/reformat of a previous story I uploaded.
1. Chapter 1

This is my very first fanfiction... I kindly ask you be gentle, generous, encouraging... I admit its not really any good. Maybe more bad than good. But I had fun writing it so I hope you have some measure of fun reading it if you can tolerate doing so. Mistakes of spelling and grammar are a work in progress as is learning to use the site. Thank you for your patience... or at least trying to be polite about it.

I removed this before because I felt it did not quite meet the guidelines for the community in format. A dear friend and more or less muse of mine very encouraged me to rewrite and repost it. So here it is.

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Chapter 1: Prelude

"Doctor Julian Bashir personal log stardate 53493.3. It has been several months since Captain Sisko has disappeared to be with the wormhole aliens. Despite best efforts to communicate with the wormhole aliens or mount rescue attempts have been futile. Other than a brief vision that Sisko's wife Cassidy claims there has been no contact. Chief O'Brien and I had been working with Captain Sisko who had given his blessing for our quest to search out and destroy Section 31. Though since the death of Sloan all our leads have run to a dead end. Literally. It is almost like the man I did the autopsy on was an unperson. Almost no substantive record could be found and the ones I did find seemed too bland for the kind of man Sloan was. His body was sent back to Earth for burial at the request of relatives. Ezri says that maybe I will have to face facts I lost the only lead I had to save Odo. O'Brian and I have some leave coming up we intend to go on a grand tour of Earth. Stand at the Alamo as we said. Maybe that will refresh my outlook on this and life. I haven't decided if I want to see my father on this trip yet, I have kept up with him in letter form, it seems that he has had a bit of a clarion call about his life, and surprisingly apart of his vocational rehabilitation he is working with the United Earth government for a memorial monument commemorating the Dominion War. A war that I am all too glad is finally over."

Ezri stood in the doorway to the infirmary looking at Doctor Bashir with a grin before interrupting, "I hope I am not interrupting?" A bit startled, he suspected she was there, maybe he felt it, but replying quickly turning around "OH! No. Never. I was just finishing up some reports." "Looking forward to seeing O'Brian again?" Ezri walked to Bashier sitting on the panel in front of him. "Yes... you were standing there a bit eh? "Okay you caught me. I walked in on you mentioning Sloan." "You do the battle of Thermoply with me why not join me in searching out Section 31 with me. I can't tell you the great time Miles and I had doing it."  
Ezri rolled her eyes at Bashier's half-sarcasm half-sincerity. "Is that because it wasn't a great time?" Bashir coyly looked down and back up to Ezri. "Well if you don't mind we have a date and this time I've picked where." Bashir ginned "Oh and what did we choose?" "No what 'I' chose. Unless you changed your mind."  
Bashir leaned back grinning more waving his arms as if conceding,"Alright alright. What did you choose?"  
Ezri stood up pulling Bashier up, "You will see." Ezri leaned in as Bashir at the same time pulled her closer as they kissed Bashir and Ezri gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before he announced "Alright lets go!"

The holosuite program ended with Ezri in a beautiful flowing dress and Bashir in a dashing zorro costume. Ezri smiled taking the mask off his face. Bashir taking the mask as they exited the holosuite, "I've never even heard of this zorro before." Ezri pushed on him a bit, "The more you live the more you learn."

As they walked out of Quark's holosuite as they started to descend down the winding stairway to the bottom level of Quark's. Chitchatting as they went.

"So that's all you have to say about the program?"  
Bashir rolled his eyes back thinking about what to say, "Well it just seems unrealistic. I am so used to doing holo programs that are realistic." "Like your spy programs?" "Well. True. But." "But nothing."  
Bashir was caught and he knew it, so putting together the best argument together on how it was absurd even though she had him cornered, "Faking my own death to escape a prison? Frankly I am surprised they had that in the program. I knew I was safe but imagine all the people it will give nightmares to. Buried alive." Ezri chuckled knowing she had won with such a weak argument from him,"More business for me then!"  
Bashir and Ezri were in the turolift as he was walking her back to her quarters, "More like more WORK for you then." Ezri decided to be generous, they were in love after all, at least she thinks they were with all the host feelings and memories sometimes she got a bit mixed up still internally but no reason to share this factoid, "Yes you caught me but I wanted to do something that wasn't about war or battles. Something a little more romantic and creative. Something we both could potentially enjoy." Bashir nodded, "I just was wondering why we couldn't do the battle of britan, the alamo, or a spy program?" Ezri nodding now too even though she wasn't looking to Bashir, "I suppose. I suppose we could try it. You tried my program it is only fair that I try yours. But can we take it easy. Not the battle of Britan, I get flashbacks of the shuttle accident." "Okay then the Alamo?" "Guns going off. Reminds me too much of the Domnion war." "Ah! Well how about a spy program?" Ezri nodded, "I think I can manage that." The professional and doctor side of Bashir was activated hearing her issues, real issues, with his programs. Part of him felt like they shouldn't do it at all. "Well you know if it is too much trouble we don't" "No I insist." Ezri paused, "At least I think. Yes I insist. Well. Yes." The turbolift stopped as they walked out chitchatting a bit more.

Now at Ezri's quarters, more a formality and blurred line now as Bashir and Ezri became much more close, Ezri waved as Bashir walked away back to his quarters. As he faked his own death something lurked in his mind, what if Sloan faked his own death, but that would be impossible wouldn't it? He had turned Sloan's body nearly inside out and shook it during the autopsy. O'Brian seemed to have a hard time believing a man who could fake disintegration so expertly and leave no trace, even fooling the Romulans who found everything that one would expect after a disintegration and no trace of a transporter. Maybe he needed to see Sloan's grave and touch it to see that he is in fact dead beyond any shadow of doubt to settle this lurking thought in the back of his mind. He would soon have the chance too with his trip to Earth in a few days.


	2. Chapter 2

This is my very first fanfiction... or any literary work written start to end... be gentle, generous, encouraging... I admit its not really any good. Maybe more bad than good. But I had fun writing it so I hope you have some measure of fun reading it if you can tolerate doing so. Mistakes of spelling and grammar are a work in progress as is learning to use the site. Thank you for your patience... or at least trying to be polite about it.

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Chapter 2 – On Earth

Bashir walked up into Ops and to Captain Sisko's office. Habit died hard and in solidarity with the firm hope that Sisko would return Colonel Kira insisted everyone treat her command of the station as temporary. She said she expected Sisko to walk through the door and she will give him back his desk asking how his day was.

The doors slid open to the office.

Kira glancing up for a second before getting back to work, "Ah! Doctor. How can I help you?" "My leave started today and I will be leaving for Earth later today. I know everyone is more than capable of filling in for me while I am on Earth but I wanted to know if there was anything else I could do before I go?"  
Kira smirked sarcastically, "Doctor we are more than capable to keep from falling dead while you are away. Go and enjoy your time with Chief O'Brian. Or whatever his title is now." Bashir noticed that Kira had barely looked up from the pile of pads in front of her and seemed terribly swamped with pads. "The health and wellbeing of the station means more than not falling dead. You seem…" "Stressed. Agitated. Short-tempered. Annoyed. I am now the Bajorian Liaison officer and the station commander. With my dual-duties, training new officers, and being up to my neck in busywork it hardly gives me time to run the station. Quark now without Sisko and Odo here its like he thinks he owns the place. And I envy that you get to go home and be with your friend Chief O'Brian while I am short one more officer."

Bashir paused for a bit before interjecting, "I could still cancel my leave." "No. Get out of here. Don't look back, have fun, and don't come back till you are ready to get back to work. Like I said doctor we can manage without you for a while." Bashir stood a bit mystified but nonetheless amused and pleased, "Did you just dismiss me?" Kira looked up firmly at him, "I said go!"

Bashir with a bit of a smirk on his face walked out the door hearing it slide shut behind him looking across ops. It was refreshing to see the station while off-duty and about to go on leave. Gave it a sense of beauty, grandeur, and importance that became dulled over time. It made him feel just a little bit left out. But plans were plans and now he was to go down and see Ezri before leaving.

After a beautiful lunch in Ezri's quarters they were exchanging pleasantries discussing what would be missed while he was on Earth. She was mentioning her counseling schedule and the various kinds of therapeutic methods that were being explored by Starfleet Medical. Including using the holosuits a bit like Nog used in his recovery, which was featured in her paper on the topic, both on Ferengi psychology and neurology, and the potentials for holo-environments in therapy.

Ezri continued eating and drinking as she talked about her paper, Bashir politely listening, "Which its difficult to write a paper including a holosuit character as one of my witnesses. I know I still have a hard time understanding your belief of him more as person than fictional character. But some people are really sensitive to this idea of interactive characters and narratives for therapeutic purposes" "Well you know there are people through history who got help through literature, both writing and reading, and through the performing arts. Its not hard to imagine that regardless if he is a person or not that he could be helpful. But you are right I suppose I do think of him more than just a fictional character. Ezri smiled nodding, "I've noticed.""What is that supposed to mean?" "Its not uncommon for people to personify things around them from tricorders, ships, animals, and the like. It can be good or bad." Bashir paused for a bit, feeling a jab for an argument or perhaps a tease, "So you are saying that the idea of an artificial life-form is an illusion?"  
Ezri shook her head as she sipped some wine, "Well no. But hes just an elaborate puppet on holographic strings. He is no more alive than a lightbulb. Which even he admits hes just a glorified lightbulb." "I think you are oversimplifying this somehow." "Am I? Or because you like his character and you relate to him you have been pulled into the fiction that he is real as you and me?" Bashir thought for just a moment, "What about Commander Data. The android. Is he just a puppet to you too?" "No. The kind of technology that goes into Data is very advanced, not recreatable or at least not easily. Vick is just a hologram in Quark's Holosuit. Do you really expect me to go into how this isn't the same?" "It just seems like a slippery slope. We know we can clone people and they are still persons. Look at Will Riker. He was recreated down to every detail." Ezri shook her head again, "But you said it yourself cloned from a 'person'. There is no dispute that he is a sentient being." "So how do we decide whos a person and whos not?"

Ezri stopped, thinking long and hard, "I wish I had an answer for you." Bashir smiled, "So how does this tie into your holo-environment therapy." "So far we consider holo-environments to be more places for recreation, distressing, and the like. Ever since the EMH came about there has been some talk of adapting or making a hologram for psychiatric and counseling services. Deep-space vessels and such. As Starfleet considers making portable emitters for the EMH to be standard apart of survival kits perhaps someday too we will be relying more on these sorts of elaborate programs to help people alone in the depths of space or are somehow stranded." "I've read that some EMH programs have already been programmed with psychiatric abilities and already are taking on these roles." "They are limited but yes this has happened. Its more controversial than the EMH is itself. But in my paper I am discussing if perhaps these fictional characters in these holo-environments could engage people in ways that real people couldn't."

Bashir stopped her again, "Real people. Rather than fake."

Ezri smiled continuing, "Look at Nog's case. Because we don't understand his peoples neurology or psychology as we do other humanoid species we tried treatment after treatment after treatment after treatment. Counselor after counselor after counselor. It honestly felt like a bit of a lost cause. Also the harder we pushed Nog the worse he seemed to get. Also the more reclusive and hostile he became. Which is why I recommended returning him here to the station and letting him relax in a familiar setting. They had him nearly all day bed-to-bed in some kind of treatment session. I would have been exhausted and resentful too." Bashir interjected, "I think we could learn something from 20th and 21st century Earth here. Ezri nearly looked offended setting down her fork folding her hands looking right at him, the glare was intense. Bashir continued, "They tried taking these sick people and pushing them into hospitals. Treating them unfairly and unequally. They kept focusing on more treatments when in reality they needed some simple reaffirmation of their human dignity to be apart of society like everyone else. They also kept trying to treat symptoms rather than treat causes or even considering that maybe the sociology of it had any role in care. Maybe Nog is just a repeat of that hypertreatment of some sort. "That is somewhat true but that's a bit of an extreme oversimplification on your part. They barely understood what they were treating nonetheless how it interconnected with the rest of them as a person or society. Besides the 20th and 21st centuries while seeing good progress in 'mental health care' as they called it was still comparatively medieval compared to now. Why not compare us to Spanish inquisitors or to Borg assimilation tactics." Bashir tried to seem unphased by that, "Or maybe we are so used to in this day and age of the 24th century that we can cure so many illnesses and injures of mind and body that when we can't stop the continuum of treatment aggressiveness and we over-treat creating an unhealthy psychosocial narrative." 

Ezri frowned remembering Bashir was a doctor, not a counselor, he didn't deal with the cases that didn't have cures and when they didn't he sent them to the counselor, so that to him it must be frustrating to deal with such hardship of knowing a condition could be fully treated but not get better, "That would be nice wouldn't it. To just wave a magic wand or shut our eyes to make peoples problems go away." "That isn't quite what I said." "I know. But it's a bit frustrating sometimes to not be able to cure someone like you said. It can make us feel so powerless. It perhaps helps all of us to feel like something being done is better than feeling powerless."

Bashir sighed nodding looking up to her holding her hand, "I am going to miss you. A lot." "Now that we finished our afternoon lunch. Now what?" Ezri and Bashir smiled as they gazed into eachother's eyes.

It had been a long trip back to Earth but Bashir awoke from a nap to see the blue marble as it was affectionately called in his window. Stretching he gazed at it a bit taken back by Earth's stunning beauty. He grabbed his bag walking to the transport bay to go to the surface. A civilian transporter operator saw him walk in, Bashir handed him his pad that had his travel information, after looking across it the operator tapped across the screen. "Alright Doctor if you just step onto the pad I will set you down in Starfleet Academy. Do you get back to Earth often?"

"No. Afraid not." "I've just got your permission to beam down. Ready?" "Go ahead."

Bashir felt the transporter engage as he could feel his body lose cohesion here and re-materializing there which also felt like here. He looked around and saw that the campus was a bit unpopulated obviously for the Thanks Giving holiday that Americans celebrated here in San Fransico. Odd that it wasn't an Earth custom. Halloween Earth-wide was but Thanks Giving not. It was a pleasant custom that Starfleet encouraged in their students, to bond with friends and family, going back home to spend time with family. He never took advantage of that he just stayed with whoever it was he was dating at the time.

Bashir made his way across the compound to the faculty offices where he found O'Brian buried in pads as well, reading what appeared to be papers and designs from students.

"Hello professor!" O'Brian didn't have to look up he dropped his pads standing up arms raised for a handshake and half-hug, "Bashir! You are a sight for sore eyes. Its so good to see you! I wasn't expecting you for a few days. I was rushing through all of this work so I could spend the time with you free."  
"Oh we never let work get in the way of our time together."

"We were working?" Bashir and O'Brian laughed. O'Brian retorted back, "Oh it is good. I've missed you friend." O'Brian looked around seeing that there was no place to sit in the mess, "They keep me pretty busy here." "That's okay. Uh. Maybe there is someplace we could go for some coffee or a drink?" "Now you are talking. Lets get going."

Bashir looked at the mess. O'Brian waved his hand, "Oh don't think anything of it. Its all mostly done. These young cadets don't like me a non-comp telling them to write papers on theory and having to demonstrate ability in a sort of hands-on-workshop I have talked the Academy into seting up. I push them hard even put them to work around campus and ships in orbit. And the Academy loves it!" "We aren't all meant to be engineers you know." "They don't have to be engineers. But it wouldn't hurt if they understood how all the blinking machinery and computers worked around them. Maybe even how to fix it themselves time to time. Well lets go. Like I said. Time for my leave to start too."

As they walked O'Brian continued. "I've tracked down Sloan's grave site for us. Also I have a way that might be able to let you look at the body in the grave site." Bashir stopped for a moment, "How… how did you know that I was going to ask about that?" "I've gotten to know you far too well and frankly if you didn't I was going to ask you to."

Bashir and O'Brian made their way to a pub near the Academy grounds having an Irish-American theme to it as they made their way to the bar for a drink. Bashir smiled taking a drink setting it down with a bit of foam on his upper lip, "Its almost like ole times." "Almost. Except you smell that in the air? The beautiful sent of salt in the air." Bashir sniffed, "Are you sure you smell salt?" "All that station air. Its so sterile. Here the air is air. It is wonderful."

Bashir gazed in his mug, "Do you really think we will find something with Sloan's body?" "If Section 31 did their job right I think not. But maybe its what we won't find that will be the biggest clue… So any word on Captain Sisko?" "Not yet. Colonel Kira tells us to be ready for him to walk back into his office any day because its still his office, his station, his command." "I can understand that. I wonder what those wormhole aliens are doing with him. What do you think?" Bashir sipped more of his beer in the tall glass mug, "I haven't the foggiest."

O'Brian continued, "What I don't understand is why Sisko anyways? Hes not even Bajorian." Bashir agreed nodding, "Frankly I've never understood why the wormhole aliens wanted to be Prophets to the Bajorian people." "Yeah. But don't let the Bajorians hear you saying that. They say it is disrespectful to refer to them as wormhole aliens. That its not 'our business'." O'Brian doing air quotes. "Earth had a lot of religions but I don't know if any of those religions actually had something like the wormhole aliens behind it. Maybe its just because we didn't develop culturally or as species that we don't relate to the symbiotic relationship."

O'Brian shook his head, "No. There isn't anything symbiotic about them. Starfleet used to be in the business of taking down false gods and now we respect them as apart of their religious and cultural heritage." "Well it doesn't seem we can stop the wormhole aliens and they are at least somewhat god-like? They saved the Federation and Bajor." "When Sisko talked them into it."

Bashir answered back, "Do you think we could of won the dominion war without the wormhole aliens?" "I try not to think about it."

O'Brian drinking a bit more to change topics a bit, "You know since I've been back on Earth and the news here has been talking about these concessions from the Dominion, war reparations, and the construction of memorial monuments and cemeteries has had me thinking a lot about that paper you wrote. Your conclusions was that we couldn't defeat the founders because the dominion was too powerful which would eventually lead to a drawn out war. Do you think Section 31 used that in their plans against the founders?" "Isn't that still classified? The attempted genocide and the holding back of a cure?" "Its all known. Just a few details redacted from news reports. Its hard to imagine anyone can't speculate that we had the cure that Odo delivered to them." Bashir answered, "When I hear the news services they make it sound like we offered them a cure to help end the war." "Well that is sort of what happened."  
Bashir shook his head, "I don't like sort of and I don't like the idea that Section 31 got any help or ideas from me." "So what do we do now? The Klingons and Romulans say they will need at least a decade to rebuild themselves from the war. The Dominion promises to not enter the Alpha quadrant and to allow some humanitarian and exploration missions through their space. The Cardassians are rebuilding. The wormhole aliens…" "I think we are getting a bit tipsy." Good!"


	3. Chapter 3

This is my very first fanfiction... or any literary work written start to end... be gentle, generous, encouraging... I admit its not really any good. Maybe more bad than good. But I had fun writing it so I hope you have some measure of fun reading it if you can tolerate doing so. Mistakes of spelling and grammar are a work in progress as is learning to use the site. Thank you for your patience... or at least trying to be polite about it.

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Chapter 3: The Grave

O'Brien and Bashir stumbled through the door of O'Brien's new home. Giggling a bit all the way. Their evening had been cut short when the pub closed without them noticing. The pub owner having a soft spot for Starfleet since the Dominion war let them ramble on only telling them to turn off the lights behind them as he left for home. It was the 24th century after all. After fiddling with the door lock they both landed in the living room of the new home which was built sometime in the late 1930s. Humanity's love of the antique kept it standing… now more than four hundred years old with not many adaptations to it.

O'Brien and Bashir sat on the couch for a moment. They both looked at each other. O'Brien snorted out, "I think you have had a bit to drink." Bashir with the best innocent expression he could muster, "Have I? I thought you did?" "Thank you I will have something to drink. Will you?" "Perfect!"

O'Brien staggered up walking to the replicator that being a civilian replicator could replicate alcohol staggering back with two glasses and a tall bottle of Irish Whiskey sitting down. Looking at the two glasses giggling as Bashir started to giggling with him as O'Brien tossed the glasses across the room as they smashed onto the floor as he popped the top of the bottle taking a swig before passing it to Bashir.

O'Brien let out, "Its good to be home!" "I don't want you to be home.""What!?" "I'm happy for your new position but I miss you on… the station." "Well yeah. But you know how it is. Wife likes it here. She can do her work better here. Molly has more friends. Its a better job. Hey save some for me." O'Brien leaned over snatching the bottle."Hey! Thats. Thats what I miss. You snatching bottles from my hand like a true friend. How can you snatch my bottle all the way from here?" "What?" "Can I be home then?" "My home is your home. Friend." "You are the best friend a man could ask for."

O'Brien started to sing: "And did those feet in ancient time…!" Bashir joined in, "Walk upon Englands mountains green...!"

Keiko stood leaning against the doorway in her night robe watching the display with Molly peeking behind Keiko's robe. Keiko with a smirk on her face looking across both of them,"Hello boys. I suppose I shouldn't ask where you two have been."

O'Brien looked quite guilty as he struggled to stand up, "Hello. I. We lost track of time. Look Bashir is here early." "You two will never grow up will you? Well I dont want you back in the bed with me like that so you can just stay out here. But don't complain when you two are suffering from lack of rest tomorrow."  
O'Brien stood thinking about what his wife just said, "That means I'm not in trouble?"

Keiko smiled slightly before she leaned on the door frame before walking back, "Goodnight Miles." "Goodnight honey. I love you. You're the greatest." Keiko walked Molly back sighing with a bit of a half-laugh. O'Brien tried to sit down but slipped to the floor, "Where were we?"

Bashir and O'Brien together in unison sing "Jerusalem".

The next day Bashir and O'Brien with less excited but still pleasant chitchat sat at the table having breakfast. Molly was sharing her excitement of doing Halloween, something that Deep Space Nine didn't have. Bashir was thinking about it had only been a few months since O'Brien had come to Earth. Only a few months before that the Dominion war was still unfinished and unsure. It seemed like it had been years and years. How time plays tricks on the mind.

O'Brien interrupted Bashir's stupor,"Bashir did you hear me?" "Sorry what?" "I said in the office I have something I want to show you." "Oh right."

O'Brien walked up the stairs going into the office which had a nice view, he looked around the office which was still mostly unpacked, but the desk was clearly already much in use.

O'Brien took out a large pad laying it on the table, "Here it is. I was thinking the best way to get a look at Sloan's body is to transport it. But as you know Earth, Starfleet, and everyone else has transport inhibitors and sensors that makes transport a bit difficult. I doubt anyone would understand why we want Sloan's body for a look." "Right. I could just say I needed to confirm something." "And leave a record for Section 31?" Bashir thought about it, "Thats true I suppose." "The Academy transports all over the planet almost all the time, when in session or not, and for the most part I have noticed the Earth authorities barely blink an eye about it." Bashir interjected, "I am sure a dead body would raise a few flags." "Exactly. So what we will do is setup our own transporter network that way we can fool the system into not correctly registering what we are transporting. To do that we need to setup a transport enhancer at the grave site." Bashir smiled impressed, "That is really quite devious. I am glad you are on the side of good." "I must of picked it up from you" O'Brien and Bashir walking down the stairs as O'Brien shouted they would be at the campus. They walked out the front door to wait for a bus they summoned to come by.

At the Academy Starfleet Medical grounds which Bashir knew his way around quite well from being there found their way into one of the labs. After O'Brien had disabled the security system Bashir started to setup the lab to examine Sloan's body. O'Brien took the time to setup the transporter system. Bashir after about an hour had gathered an array of equipment periodically showing off some of the teaching tools that they used from a skeleton to that Bashir teased was a test gone horribly wrong of transporting someone's skeleton out of them while still alive and O'Brien telling the skeleton he would be glad to take him to the Alamo with them when they were done.

"Alright its all setup. I have the transport enhancer." Bashir playing behind the skeleton, "I've turned to bones while waiting."

O'Brien smirked and chuckled as they headed to the transporter room beaming to Buffalo, New York where the body had been interned. After a quick bus to the cemetery they walked through searching, O'Brien said he came at night and thought he had found it, apparently it was someone else's grave marker. But sure enough O'Brien found it again.

"Here it is. This is the one I found." "You sure? I mean surer than the last sure?" "Sure I'm sure." O'Brien snickered in self-satisfaction.

O'Brien set the device low to the ground taking some leaves to cover it as he took out a tricorder to scan the grave. "Low passive scan first. We don't want to set-off any devices waiting for us.""Right. He held his tricorder waiting for the okay." "Thats funny. Nothing. I would of left something." "Well. If thats my cue." He took out the medical tricorder scanning the grave. "His body is remarkably intact despite the time that has past. But quite dead." "Anything unusual?": "From the scan it all appears to be there. The device in the cranium. The surgical opening I made to get a better scan of the device. It all appears to be what I remember. But I need better equipment and to get my hands on him to be sure sure." "Well. Lets go. Back to the lab." O'Brien looked at the grave stone as a chill crossed over him. Like maybe Sloan really was gone. That his spirit was watching him somehow. Bashir looked at the grave with a similar chill like they were somehow being watched by Sloan's spirit.

O'Brien let out, "Creepy." "Its almost like hes watching us even still." "Thats even more creepy. I felt the same way." "You said it back to the lab."

O'Brien and Bashir walked out back to where they transported in back to the Academy making their way to the lab. O'Brien was imagining the corps sitting up and looking at them after the transport was complete. Completely ridiculous sure or why it would be scary is beyond him but there was just something about graves that could stir the imagination.

O'Brien tapped the panel, "Ready when you are." Bashir thought this wasn't too illegal yet, perhaps they should stop now, but why come this far and stop? "Go ahead."

O'Brien tapped a few panels as the swirling energy on the medical lab biobed appeared the body of sloan.

Bashir got busily to work, O'Brien mostly just nodded along to whatever Bashir was saying as he pulled up records and other equipment as needed, hour or so past with Bashir finally throwing his hands up in the air and then back to his sides.

Bashir finally let out "I was really hoping this long shot would do it. But its him. Down to every last detail far as I can tell. The device in his cranium is missing its operating system far as I can tell which is a bit odd. It also matches the obviously phony medical file I found that claimed it was to regulate a rare genetic brain disorder which I didn't detect during my first autopsy but it seems to be there now at least mildly." "Hard to believe that after all that the man went through he died at our hands." "Wait. All the man went through." "Sorry? What?" Bashir's mind was fathoming something truly out there, "Thats it. I need a tomographic imaging scanner with multiphasic resolution." O'Brien raised an eyebrow, "A what?" "There should be one in one of the science labs. Can you move it here?" "Depends. What does it look like? Also what are you thinking?""Its a very long shot but its worth a try. I will show you where it is."

A little bit later in a swirling array of energy a tomographic imaging scanner with multiphasic resolution materialized in the lab. Bashir got to work using it scanning Sloan's body which this scanner emitted a sort of soft white plasma that covered the body.

O'Brien trying to grasp what he was told, "So you are saying that its him but not." "I will tell you in a few seconds. Ahah! Its not phased correctly." "Meaning?" "Don't you know what this means? This is a clone of Sloan." "What!?" "The USS Enterprise years back encountered a near perfect clone of their Commander William Riker. When…" "Yeah I was there for it. The second transporter beam got deflected off the energy storm which caused a second Riker to appear. They both came from a substantial and recent pattern of matter so in my determination they were both real as the other, not a clone."

Bashir continues, "Right! But when the second Riker, who came to be called Thomas Riker, was brought to Starfleet Medical for examination they found that his body had a very very slight phase difference than other matter, which even Will Riker didn't have, it was discovered that the manner of duplication from the energy storm that provided the quasi-matter that the transporter uses for the incidental second signal to form the second Riker left like an imprint on him." O'Brien found it far fetched, "Really? So this Sloan?" "Yes! It has a very slight phase distortion that only this sort of device would detect." "Amazing. But why?" "Thats a good question. Why." "Is it possible this could of happened any other way?" "No way that is on file."

Both men looked at the body on the table, the autopsy presumably complete, the sinking feeling that they were again at a dead end. It seems Sloan did once again play a trick on the Grim Reaper and right in front of Bashir again. Bashir was impressed, mystified, and very slightly and coldly offended that once again he had been fooled by Sloan, the worst part was that he did this in large part to convince himself that he hadn't been.

Somewhere far away Sloan sat at his desk, cover in pads of work, that he diligently read not taking time to enjoy the little ironies or comedy that the universe threw up time to time. The pad entitled Bashir and O'Brien Investigation had an update, Sloan smiled rolling his eyes, but his smile soon started to fade as he read, he sat the pad down staring at the ceiling. "Well Doctor. You won't give up will you?"


End file.
